People often go to nephrology for “kidney deficiency”. What is the difference and connection between the two? First of all, it should be clear that “kidney disease” in Western medicine and “kidney deficiency” in Chinese medicine are two completely different concepts. Secondly, we need to understand that there are some intrinsic links between the two. 1, Chinese medicine “kidney” is far beyond the scope of Western medicine “lentils” Western medicine’s kidney is one of the body organs, that is, the pair of “lentils” that we see in the medical picture. It must do its daily work to filter 190 liters of blood and separate out 1.9 liters of metabolic waste and excess water. The waste and water are turned into urine, which enters the bladder and is excreted to maintain the acid-base balance of body fluids. It is also responsible for the production of hormones such as erythropoietin, active vitamin D and renin. The “kidneys” in Chinese medicine are much more abstract and complex. According to Chinese medicine, the kidneys are responsible for the collection of essence, water, bone, qi, ear, and bowels. The kidney stores essence, which means that the basic material of life is hidden in the kidney, which is divided into innate essence and acquired essence, both of which are combined and stored in the kidney to supply the body’s needs for growth, development and reproduction. When the body reaches puberty, the essence of the kidneys begins to flourish, women have menstruation, men have semen excretion, and sexual functions mature, all of which are related to the essence of the kidneys. As the body ages, the essence of the kidneys gradually decays and sexual function decreases or even disappears. Therefore, when people are weaker, older, to the sickly autumn, the body’s essence is also naturally insufficient, when the imbalance between yin and Yang, there are many corresponding signs and symptoms, Chinese medicine is called kidney deficiency. In other words, “kidney” is the power source of the body, which determines the growth and development, fertility, genetic ability, water and fluid metabolism, respiratory function regulation, hair growth and moistening, etc.. Therefore, its functions include the genitourinary system, endocrine system and so on. It may cover the functions of the kidneys, adrenal glands, testes, ovaries, pituitary gland, bone marrow, and many more organs. In this way, the scope of “kidney qi” in TCM is much larger, far beyond the function of the kidney in Western medicine. Sometimes it may be a problem with the endocrine system, sometimes it may be a problem with the reproductive system, and sometimes it may be a result of the decline of vital phenomena. 2.Kidney disease ≠ Kidney deficiency Kidney disease in the broad sense refers to diseases of the kidney as an organ, including nephritis, kidney stones, kidney tuberculosis, kidney tumor, kidney failure and other diseases, which are collectively called “kidney disease” in Western medicine, and can show symptoms such as hematuria, proteinuria, polyuria, oliguria, nausea and vomiting, weakness and anemia.
Chivalrous nephropathy refers to nephrotic syndrome. It is a condition clinically characterized by massive proteinuria, hypoproteinemia, oliguria, and high edema. And kidney deficiency is a group of symptoms in Chinese medicine, including kidney yang deficiency and kidney yin deficiency. Kidney Yang deficiency can be manifested as pale or sallow face, cold waist and knees, cold fear, mental weakness, impotence and premature ejaculation in men, cold and infertility in women, enuresis, swelling, diarrhea, pale tongue with white fur and sunken pulse, etc.; while Kidney Yin deficiency can be manifested as soreness and weakness of the waist and knees, fever, dizziness and tinnitus, insomnia and forgetfulness, night sweating, spermatorrhea and premature ejaculation in men, menstruation and menorrhagia in women, constipation, red tongue with little fur and fine pulse, etc. Therefore, when Chinese medicine says kidney deficiency, it broadly refers to the overall low function of the organism. Kidney deficiency can occur in a variety of diseases, including not only kidney diseases in Western medicine, but also the decompensation or dysfunction of heart, lung, brain, blood, bone and reproductive functions (including sexual function). Only the kidney disease of kidney deficiency evidence can appear abnormal urinary routine and kidney function, other diseases of kidney deficiency evidence of urinary routine and kidney function is normal. And kidney deficiency in a narrow sense refers to the diminished reproductive function (including sexual function) alone. 3, kidney disease and kidney deficiency intrinsic link In the clinic, we also found that there are many intrinsic links between kidney disease and kidney deficiency. 1, kidney disease patients mostly have kidney deficiency. Patients with nephrotic syndrome mostly have kidney qi deficiency, and patients with uremia have deficiency of both kidney yin and kidney yang. 2, kidney deficiency over time prone to proteinuria or hematuria, and even kidney failure. 3, Chinese medicine, “the kidney is the master of the bone, outside the skin,” the kidneys make the skin produced by the activation of vitamin D3 and thus affect the calcium and phosphorus metabolism of the bones coincide. 4, Chinese medicine “marrow” and the kidneys produce erythropoietin, which affects the bone marrow mechanism of red blood cell production coincides. 5, Chinese medicine “the kidney is the master of water and the two stools” and the urinary function of the kidney coincide. 6, Chinese medicine “the kidney is the main organizer of Qi” coincides with the kidney’s system of maintaining the acid-base balance of the body.